On International Women’s Day every year, the voices and stories of women across the world are celebrated, as we address the issues that cause gender inequality and diversity. But despite these issues remaining, such voices and stories take a backseat once the day is done.
We think it’s worth doing the opposite and actively challenging the issues that create these gaps in our industry, which is why we launched our weekly Wednesday Women series, where we profile the stories of the inspiring women in this great and wide industry.
Today we speak with Kate Petering, Head Winemaker at Maxwell Wines, whose career in wine began with a love of agriculture, and over the years has been shaped by curiosity, courage and a connection to the land.
Reflecting on the early days of her career and what led her to study oenology and pursue winemaking, Petering told The Shout: “Growing up on a farm I knew that doing something in agriculture was my future, exactly what that path was took me a while to find. Studying winemaking, meeting some truly interesting people, and taking vintage cellar jobs in the last couple years of my degree, I knew I was on the right path.
“Having been in the industry for 20+ years now my career progression/rise feels like it was a long time ago, but taking chances and not being afraid to take them landed me where I am today. Travelling, doing a lot of vintages and taking advantage of as many opportunities as I could to gather knowledge and listening to people has been very important,” she stated.
Carving out space
From winemaking for Grampians-based winery Mount Langi Ghiran to her current role as Head Winemaker at Maxwell Wines, Petering’s career has been shaped by the many opportunities she has thrown herself into. And although the wine world has long been male dominated, she never viewed that as a barrier. For Petering, the bigger challenge was learning how to thrive as an introvert in a demanding industry, and some of her most defining moments have been those that helped her find her voice.
“Taking a job in a small region definitely built me as the person I am now. Living where there were just a handful of other young people working in wine was difficult, especially as someone as introverted as myself. I’m not the loudest person in the room, and that doesn’t always work in my favour, so there have been some setbacks because of that, but it has defined me as a person for sure.
“While I know that this industry is male dominant it has never been a challenge as such, if an opportunity presents itself there is no reason I can’t apply or take that chance. Having supportive people around me both professionally and personally also helps to give confidence in making decisions.
“Professionally those people have more often been men pushing me forward to do things, so the gender thing has never been a mental roadblock for me. There have always been challenges and challenging people in the industry, men and women, but you have to prove those people wrong and not let them affect you in a negative way,” Petering continued.
The way forward
Despite her refusal to let the male-dominated nature of the wine industry become an obstacle, Petering is pleased to have seen positive changes in terms of representation and opportunities for women in wine in recent years.
“There are more women represented across all roles within the industry, many who are speaking loudly as to who they are and what they do, which all helps this industry be more complete and inclusive,” says Petering.
“It is slow, but it is happening. When I first started working in wineries there were so few women in any part of production that it is so great to see teams of women in some wineries now.”
Looking ahead, as the industry evolves, Petering is excited about the future of women in wine.
“Having strong, confident leaders who support and encourage each other is the only way forward,” she explains.
“I’ve never looked at an opportunity and thought ‘I can’t do this because I’m a woman’, and I hope that women around me, in this industry or not, feel the same.
“I encourage women to do a bit of research on what they want – don’t be afraid to take a wild or seemingly mad chance here and there. But if you don’t get the job/opportunity, take that as another chance to better yourself in some way, educate yourself, travel, have some fun, meet new people, there’s always a silver lining somewhere.
“While none of my immediate cellar team are women, I encourage my crew all in the same way. If they are enthusiastic and want to build their career, I will do what I can to help them to find opportunities regardless of their gender, it’s all about how much they want to chase a dream and how I can possibly help them to achieve that,” Petering concluded.